Hideo Kojima Talks About His Konami Experience

In 2015, industry icon Hideo Kojima went through a bitter public breakup from Konami after spending nearly three decades with the company. Soon after, the creator of the famed Metal Gear series formed his own independent studio, Kojima Productions, and partnered with Sony for his first big project, Death Stranding.

There are still no details on what actually happened between Kojima and Konami, only rumors and speculations. In a recent interview, the revered director hinted that his creative freedom was taken away to please investors.

“I have more freedom now because the final decision comes down to me,” he told BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat program. “This company is not listed on the stock exchange so we don’t need to worry about pleasing investors. We can just concentrate on making good games.”

In another interview with IGN, Kojima reflected upon his past to state that everything happens for a reason.

“The me that stands here now is the product of the past 53 years of my life,” he said. “Everything I experienced over 53 years; movies I’ve seen, books I’ve read, music I’ve listened to, games I’ve played, people I’ve met and the 30 years spent in this industry, have formed who I am. Not one of these things has been without purpose, including my experience creating games at Konami.”

As such, he’s moving on with a new challenge and a fresh slate. However, Kojima has no intention to take it easy at this point. If only, he’s motivated than ever to “keep pushing the creative envelope”.

Parting ways with Konami meant leaving behind his precious Metal Gear franchise. The breakup also meant the scrapping of the Silent Hills project, which Kojima was working on with Guillermo del Toro.